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Chris Ingram (rally driver)
British rally driver (born 1994) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chris Ingram (born 7 July 1994 in Manchester) is a British rally driver who made history by becoming the first Briton in over 50 years to win the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) in 2019. In 2024, he secured the British Rally Championship (BRC) title, making him the first driver to clinch both the ERC and BRC titles. Ingram has also competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC), achieving notable performances in the WRC2 category. He continues to pursue his goal of becoming World Rally Champion alongside American co-driver Alex Kihurani.
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Career
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Early Career
Ingram began rallying at the age of 15 in the F1000 British Junior Rally Championship. He finished second in his debut season in 2010, before winning six out of seven rounds to clinch the title in 2011. At 17, after earning his road driving licence, he transitioned to forest rallies and won the RF 1400 class on his first attempt, driving a 1000cc Citroën C1.
In 2012, Ingram made his British Rally Championship debut in a Renault Sport Twingo R2, winning the Twingo R2 Trophy and driving the official Renault Sport Clio R3 on the Rallye du Var in France. His performances earned him the MSA Young Driver of the Year award — the first rally driver to win the title.
In 2013, he made his debut in the European Rally Championship (ERC) at the Ypres Rally and later entered the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time, winning the RC4 category.
ERC Junior Years (2014–2017)
Ingram entered the inaugural ERC Junior Championship in 2014, earning the Colin McRae Flat Out Award after crashing out from the lead at the Circuit of Ireland. Later that season, he was signed by Peugeot UK, becoming the youngest manufacturer-backed British driver since Richard Burns. Alongside co-driver Gabin Moreau, he won the RC4 class at Wales Rally GB by over two minutes.
The pair returned in 2015 for a full ERC Junior campaign. Ingram claimed his first ERC Junior win at Rallye Açores and took his second Colin McRae Flat Out Award.
In 2016, Ingram joined Opel Motorsport, competing in the ERC Junior and ERC3 classes. He earned five consecutive podiums and won the ERC3 title after a standout victory at Barum Czech Rally Zlín.
In 2017, with Opel fielding a three-car team, Ingram dominated the season with wins in the Azores, Gran Canaria, and Rally Liepāja. He won the ERC Junior Under 27 and ERC3 titles.
European Rally Championship (2018–2019)
In 2018, Ingram stepped up to four-wheel-drive competition with Toksport WRT, driving a Škoda Fabia R5. He finished 4th overall and 1st in ERC Junior U28 in his first event in the Azores. He also made his WRC2 debut at Rally Turkey, finishing third in class and ninth overall, ahead of Sébastien Ogier.
In 2019, Ingram and co-driver Ross Whittock completed a full ERC campaign with Toksport, claiming consistent podiums and dramatic finishes. After a tense finale, they won the FIA European Rally Championship, the first British crew to do so since Vic Elford in 1967.[citation needed]
Impact of COVID-19
Following his 2019 European title, Ingram's momentum was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the global rally calendar and limited opportunities for competition and sponsorship. Despite his championship success, securing a full WRC program proved extremely challenging due to the economic aftermath of the pandemic. Ingram returned to the WRC2 category in 2022, contesting a part-season program.
World Rally Championship
Ingram has competed part-time in WRC2 since 2018. In 2022, he achieved two WRC2 Junior victories and 24 stage wins.
In 2024, at Rally Japan, Ingram made headlines by setting the fastest overall time in Shakedown, beating all Rally1 cars — a feat never before achieved by a Rally2 driver.[citation needed] Though he retired with a technical issue later in the rally.
British Rally Champion (2024)
In 2024, Ingram won the British Rally Championship, securing victory in four of seven rounds:
- Round 1 - Legend Fires North West Stages (Lancashire, England)
- Round 4 - Grampian Forest Rally (Aberdeen, Scotland)
- Round 5 - Day 1 of ERC Rali Ceredigion (BRC)
- Round 7 - Cambrian Rally
He competed in both a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
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Results
WRC-2 results
ERC results
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References
Chris Ingram profile on eWRC FIA ERC Article Take Five With Chris Ingram Ingram Impresses at Rally Japan mancity.com Chris Ingram - Love This City Motorsport UK: Ingram wins hard fought British Rally Championship title
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Ingram.
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